make a clean break
Meaning: To end something completely rather than gradually.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “After the divorce she made a clean break and moved abroad.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: A bone or a stick that breaks cleanly leaves no ragged edge. The phrase is common from the 19th century.
Equivalents in other languages
- Spanish: cortar por lo sano — literally: to cut for the healthy
More idioms — Daily Life
- a bit on the side — A secret lover; an affair.
- look out for number one — To put one's own interests first.
- with only the clothes on one's back — With no possessions at all.
- well, I never! — An exclamation of surprise or disbelief.
- luck out — To have unexpected good luck.
- put in one's two cents — To give one's opinion, whether or not it was asked for.
More English idioms
- use someone as a cat's paw — To get someone else to do one's dirty work.
- lose one's marbles — To go crazy.
- the heart of the matter — The most important part of an issue.
- play cat and mouse — To toy with someone one has power over.
- crunch time — The decisive moment, when there is no more time left.
- blow me down — An exclamation of complete surprise.
From our proverbs
- He that lives upon his wits, breaks for want of stock. — A person relying solely on cleverness without resources or preparation will eventually fa…
- A man cannot both wive and thrive in a year. — Marriage requires sustained attention and resources that conflict with building wealth or…
- He had enough to keep the wolf from the door. — Survival requires only minimal resources; having just enough to prevent destitution satis…